Earthmoving and demolition equipment, such as excavators and backhoes are typically referred to as prime movers in the art, and include a variety of attachments for performing a desired task. Some of the attachments commonly used include, among others, a bucket, hydraulic hammer, or tamper,m collectively referred to herein as implements. The prime mover and implement are typically attached by a pair of spaced mounting pins. It has become a common practice among manufacturers of prime movers to provide unique pin spacings for their prime mover and implements, such that users are encouraged to buy both the prime mover and implement from the same manufacturer.
As will be appreciated, this practice limits the user's ability to use implements purchased for other prime movers and custom implements from independent manufacturers. In the past, to use implements from a different manufacturer, users have attempted to machine implements for a particular pin spacing. As will be appreciated, this process is costly and independent manufacturers are forced to machine separate implements for each manufacturer.
Recently, one manufacturer has attempted to construct a coupler that will accommodate multiple pin spacings. In a fashion typical in the art, the coupler has a pair of spaced plates with aligned apertures at the front and rear of the plates that receive a mounting pin. To provide multiple pin spacings, slot-like apertures are formed in the plates and adapted to receive adaptor plugs that define a bore corresponding to a selected pin spacing. Each bore is formed at a position corresponding to a manufacturer. Thus, to adjust the pin position for an individual manufacturer, an adaptor plug carrying a bore at the desired spacing is inserted into the slot, and the pins are passed through the boom of the prime mover and the coupler. To provide for multiple spacings, multiple adapter plugs must be used, thus, when using multiple implements from a variety of manufacturers, the prime mover owner must carry multiple adaptor plugs. As will be appreciated, carrying multiple plugs may be an inconvenience and those plugs that are not in use may be prone to less or misplacement, such that, the user may not have the proper adapters, when they are needed.